Senior discounts abound in South Florida. But shoppers may find that if they don't ask about these deals, retailers and services won't tell.

Restaurants that offer free beverages or a certain percentage off to their older diners often don't put that fact on their menus. Some merchants don't post in-store notices about their special senior discount days. Advertisements often don't mention deals available exclusively for senior customers.

One reason the senior discount may no longer be promoted: Florida's newest seniors are baby boomers who aren't as enticed by a price break as Depression-era seniors, said Margaret Lynn Duggar, former head of the state's aging services department who now runs a consulting agency. In addition, youth-obsessed boomers may be insulted if a salesperson offers a senior discount, Duggar said.

"I think senior discounts have lost their luster," she said.

Duggar and others urge older consumers to always ask for a discount. But that strategy can be awkward.

Ed Petronio, of Boca Raton, said he had heard Boston Market gave seniors deals. But the next time he visited the eatery, he noticed no mention of one "and I felt foolish asking," said Petronio, 77. So he didn't. "I guess down here, where almost everyone is a senior, they feel like they would need to give everyone a discount," Petronio said.

Twenty years ago, Duggar, Colorado State University sociologist Evan Vlachos and other experts predicted the senior discount would not make it into the 21st century, in part because corporate America wouldn't be able to afford it once the baby boomers qualified.

In South Florida, retailers and restaurants may not feel the need to entice older consumers with discounts because so many live here. According to the 2010 census, more than 900,000 people in Broward and Palm Beach counties are over age 55 — about 29 percent of the total population. Those numbers will continue to rise.

Another factor: There's no consensus on what constitutes "senior." Kohl's offers discounts on purchases to customers 60 and older. At TJ Maxx, you can get a price break if you're at least 55. And Walgreens discounts some items for anyone carrying an AARP card, which can be applied for at age 50.

There may not even be a consistent policy in chain operations. McDonald's, for example, does not have an official senior discount and no such deals appear on the menu. But some South Florida franchise stores do offer a discount if seniors ask, a McDonald's spokesperson said.

Denny's is one company that has embraced the silver-haired set. Special 55-plus selections cover the entire back of the menu and franchise restaurants partner with AARP, which gives card-carrying Denny's customers discounts advertised near the cash register.

Adam Jacobs owns six Denny's, including several near South Florida retirement communities. Seniors are among his most faithful customers. But will the next generation of oldsters be equally attracted to Denny's value-driven philosophy? "I don't know," said Jacobs, who plans to start experimenting with "sunset" multicourse dinners similar to "early bird" specials.

Leslie Vinocur, 80, is a Denny's regular. Enjoying pancakes with her friend Alvin Schwartz on Friday at Jacobs' Pembroke Pines location, she said she always asks about discounts when visiting dining spots — and often won't return if they aren't available. Seniors deserve a break, she said: "I think we've paid our dues over our lifetimes."

Publix supermarkets has a senior discount, 5 percent off for shoppers age 60 and older every Wednesday. But that offer is good only at stores in parts of Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia — basically, every state where Publix is located except its home base in Florida.

Spokeswoman Kim Jaeger said the policy, implemented by Publix's Atlanta division 18 years ago, was "a competitive response to supermarkets in the area that were doing the same. Discounts such as this aren't part of our traditional strategy. We run different programs in different areas at times."

The National Retail Federation, which tracks every nuance of buying and selling, says it has no information or statistics regarding senior discounts. And there is no definitive list or catalog of places offering these deals.

Companies may be shying away from age-based programs, some experts say, because they're fearful they will be accused of discrimination.

Geoff Luebkemann, vice president of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, says many of his 10,000 members are shifting away from senior price cuts to deals aimed at increasing traffic during off times. One longstanding example is the ubiquitous "early bird," cut-rate meals available to all customers who come before the dinner rush. A new version is restaurants that have two-for-one specials on weekdays when business is slower.

"The more litigious our society gets, the more dangerous it is to do anything based on age," Luebkemann said.